Yesterday, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) tacitly endorsed President-Elect Trump’s pick of Stephen Bannon as chief White House strategist and counselor, saying “the president-elect has to be able to select his best team.” In reaction to McCarthy’s approval of Stephen Bannon, Eddie Kurtz, executive director of the California-based Courage Campaign issued the following statement:

“House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s support for Stephen Bannon, an unrepentant white supremacist, sexist and all around monster is despicable and a deep affront to California values of inclusion, equality and diversity. Throughout his tenure as the executive chairman of Breitbart News, Bannon published and promoted stories that are absolutely vile - promoting sexism, anti-semitism, homophobia, transphobia, domestic violence and even white supremacy. As such, McCarthy’s tacit endorsement of this hateful and divisive figure is unacceptable.

“Donald Trump may have won the 2016 Presidential election, but this November, California voters overwhelmingly rejected his agenda of hate and division. In all 58 of California’s counties, including in Kevin McCarthy’s own district, voters overwhelmingly supported the passage of Proposition 58 ending restrictions on bilingual education in public schools - a clear move that voters support a more diverse, inclusive California.

“Kevin McCarthy has an obligation to accurately represent the people of his district in Washington and as such must immediately rescind his endorsement of Stephen Bannon. White supremacy has no place in the White House, or anywhere in our country and it is long past time that McCarthy stood up for the voters of California and made it clear that this kind of hate will never be tolerated by the Party of Lincoln.”